Cardinia Shire Council endorsed its key advocacy priorities for the upcoming Federal Election at last night's Council meeting (17 February).
The priority projects from across the shire that will drive Cardinia Shire's advocacy campaign are the Lang Lang sand truck bypass, road sealing package, Cardinia Life redevelopment and Princes Highway intersection upgrades from Nar Nar Goon to Longwarry.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik said Council was committed to advocating for what the Cardinia Shire community needs.
"We will continue to seek support and investment from other levels of government to meet the needs of our growing community, now and into the future," Mayor Kowarzik said.
"With an average of 3 new households moving into the shire each day, and a population projected to increase by almost 40,000 over the next 10 years, we are one of Victoria's fastest growing municipalities.
"To help support this growth and ensure our shire remains a great place to live, Council works hard to deliver essential services and projects for our community, but we know that there is more to be done. Growth areas like Cardinia Shire require investment in infrastructure to keep up with demand for new roads, parks, sporting facilities and other amenities.
"Our rural and hills areas present a number of unique challenges and complexities.
"Currently we're missing key strategic links to connect our rural communities to our growing suburbs. More than 50 per cent of our roads are unsealed, and as our shire continues to grow so does pressure on our road network, making local roads more congested and dangerous.
"Council cannot possibly fund these critical upgrades on its own, we need support from other levels of government to make this possible and to improve safety and access for residents and visitors."
Mayor Kowarzik said Council's key advocacy priorities aimed to address a number of critical needs across the shire.
"Our key priority projects will make a significant difference to the lives of people right across our shire.
"These key projects will result in many benefits for our community, including improving safety on our roads, supporting the local economy, providing opportunities for residents to stay active and connected, and enhancing our shire so that it truly is a place that people are proud to call home."
Priority projects include:
- Lang Lang sand truck bypass: Council is calling for $24 million to start planning and construction of the new road, which will divert large trucks from the Lang Lang town centre, improving safety and amenity, and providing a more direct route for trucks to access construction sites. The bypass is an action within the Lang Lang Township Strategy. Council has undertaken a feasibility study in consultation with the Department of Transport and has commenced initial land acquisition.
- Road sealing package: Council is seeking $109 million to seal roads in emergency-prone areas in the northern region of the shire, to improve access and safety during natural disasters. The former Federal Government committed $150 million over 10 years to seal roads in the northern region of the shire through the 'Sealing the Hills' program. Following the change of government, only $41 million has been provided. Council is committed to continuing the road sealing program via the remaining Federal funding and the special charge scheme currently in place. More than 38 roads are already complete or underway.
- Cardinia Life redevelopment: Council is calling for $28.54 million from both the Australian and Victorian governments to commence Stage 1 of the Cardinia Life re-development, providing modern sports and aquatic facilities in the heart of Cardinia Shire. The redevelopment will ensure the facility can cater for current demand and is future proofed for the expected population growth. Council has prepared a business case and applied to the Federal Government's Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program in 2024. If successful, Council has committed $10.6m towards Stage 1.
- Princes Highway intersection upgrades between Nar Nar Goon and Longwarry: Council is seeking funding to develop a business case and construct 4 grade separated interchanges along the Princes Highway between Nar Nar Goon and Longwarry. Since 2017 there have been more than 115 road accidents along this 30km stretch of road, including 4 fatalities. These critical intersection upgrades will enhance road safety and improve access to the townships of Tynong, Garfield and Bunyip.
At the Council meeting, Councillors also endorsed a list of projects to be put forward for two funding programs, the Growing Suburbs Fund and Growth Area Infrastructure Contributions (GAIC) Fund.
